The Kerala government has declared Rs 5 lakh each as ex-gratia to the families of those who lost their lives in a huge landslide in Rajamalai in the state’s Idukki district on Friday. The state will also bear the expenses for treatment of the injured. “The landslide in Rajamala in Munnar has put the entire state under sorrow,” Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, adding, “Four layams (quarters for workers) with 30 rooms have been fully destroyed as per available reports. In total, 80 people lived in the layams. 15 people have been rescued while 15 people died. Rescue works are in progress.”
On Friday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured, from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Pinarayi, during his routine COVID-19 press meet, said that the state was facing two disasters.
“On one side, it’s the fight against COVID-19 and on the other, our response to monsoon-related damages. It’s projected that the number of COVID-19 patients will rise in the coming days. The government is on the task to keep that projected rate in check. At the same time, disaster management activities have also been actively progressing. Everyone, irrespective of political and other differences, should be part of this fight,” he said.
The state on Thursday recorded 1,251 COVID-19 cases. The state's COVID-19 death crossed 100 with five more deaths on Friday. The death toll now stands at 105.
“It’s understood that the landslide in Rajamala had occurred early in the morning. Electricity and communication facilities were cut off due to heavy rains. Hence, the outside world came to know about the tragedy late. The bridge that connects the place to other areas had been washed away. This caused a delay in rescue personnel reaching the spot. The rescue operations, led by the Sub-Collector, were carried out by the police, Fire personnel and local people. The rescue operations with available earth mover equipment had been extremely tough. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has now passed the Periyavara Bridge,” the CM said.
“A unit of NDRF had been deployed in Idukki foreseeing the heavy rains. But they were engaged in rescue operations in Wagamon as a car was washed away there on Thursday night. This team had been deployed for Rajamala in the morning itself. One more NDRF team from Thrissur too has been deployed for Rajamala,” he added.
Apart from this, a team of 50 Fire Force personnel have been deployed from Ernakulam. Though the government tried to use a helicopter to conduct aerial rescue operations, adverse weather hindered that.
“Assistance of the army and the navy will be sought for rescue operations, if needed,” the CM said.
The government has appointed Inspector General of Police, Crime Branch, Gopesh Agarwal as a special officer to coordinate and monitor the rescue operations. Crime Branch Superintendent of Police Sudarsan has been appointed to hand over the bodies of the deceased, after completing the legal procedures. More police personnel have been deployed from various battalions and from other districts. A team of medical experts from Ernakulam and Kottayam districts have been deployed to Rajamalai.
Damages
Forty seven houses have been partially damaged and two houses have been fully destroyed in Thiruvananthapuram district. One person died in Uzhamalakkal in Thiruvananthapuram after a tree fell on him. In Kollam district, 125 houses have been partially damaged, while one house has been destroyed. In Pathanamthitta district, the water levels in river Pamba, Manimala and Achankovil are above the warning level. People living in flood prone areas have been rehabilitated to relief camps.
Control rooms that work round the clock have been started at the District Collectorate as well as in Taluk offices. Fifteen barrages of the Bhoothathankettu dam in Ernakulam district have been opened. Those who live on the bank of river Periyar and landslide prone areas have been rehabilitated. In Wayanad, 58 relief camps have been opened in three Taluks and 3,165 people have been rehabilitated.
One NDRF team each has been deployed in Thrissur, Alappuzha, Wayanad and Idukki districts. Shutters of seventeen major dams in the state have been opened.
Lockdown in the critical containment zones in Thiruvannathapuram’s three coastal areas will strictly continue till August 16. The CM also said that the youth wing of the CPI(M), the DYFI has contributed Rs 10,95,86,537 to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.